Thin film bio valve device and its controlling apparatus

Abstract

A thin film bio valve device and an apparatus for controlling the thin film bio valve device are effectively applied in a valve structure of a thin film device, such as a lab-on-a-chip, a protein chip, or a DNA chip, for diagnosing and/or detecting a small amount of material in a fluid.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A thin film bio valve device comprising:
 at least one chamber for storing a fluid that is used for a biomaterial assay or a biochemical assay or for performing a biological or biochemical reaction; 
 a specimen inlet for loading a specimen; 
 a channel that connects the at least one chamber to allow the fluid to flow; 
 a channel hole that is disposed at the center of the channel and connected to the channel; 
 a magnetic valve for opening and closing the channel hole; 
 a top substrate, an intermediate substrate and a bottom substrate in which the channel, the channel hole and the chamber are formed; 
 a body in which the channel, the channel hole, the chamber, the specimen inlet, and the magnetic valve are integrated by stacking and binding the top substrate, the intermediate substrate and the bottom substrate; and 
 a movable permanent magnet or scan magnet for opening the channel hole, 
 wherein the channel hole is opened or closed by reversibly moving the magnetic valve in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction due to an attractive force generated between the magnetic valve and the movable permanent magnet or an attractive force generated between the magnetic valve and the scan magnet. 
 
     
     
       2. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 1 , wherein the channel hole is closed due to an attractive force between the magnetic valve and the intermediate substrate or an attractive force between the magnetic valve and a fixed top permanent magnet disposed above the channel hole. 
     
     
       3. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 1 , wherein the scan magnet and movable permanent magnet have a shape selected from the group consisting of circular, cylindrical and tetragonal. 
     
     
       4. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic valve comprises one selected from the group consisting of a ferromagnetic material, a thin film circular magnet, a thin film cylindrical magnet, a thin film tetragonal magnet, and a ball magnet. 
     
     
       5. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic valve is coated with a silicone rubber-based rubber cushion material, or a thin film rubber is inserted between the magnetic valve and the channel hole. 
     
     
       6. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 5 , wherein the magnetic valve is moved into a slide-out space due to a centrifugal force generated when the body is rotated. 
     
     
       7. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 1 , wherein the channel hole has a circular groove on a channel hole contact portion. 
     
     
       8. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate substrate comprises a plastic disk coated with a magnetic material or an aluminum disk coated with a magnetic material, or comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a permanent magnet, a ferromagnetic material, iron, cobalt, chrome, nickel and alloys thereof. 
     
     
       9. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate substrate has an electric circuit pattern formed by using a mask pattern. 
     
     
       10. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 1 , wherein the chamber comprises:
 a preparation chamber for extracting a sample from a specimen; 
 a buffer chamber in which an amplification process for amplifying the sample, a mixing process for diluting or mixing the sample, or a labeling process for labeling the sample is performed; 
 an array site in which a capture probe for assaying and/or diagnosing the sample is fixed or can be immobilized by a immobilizing member, and 
 a waste chamber for collecting waste generated after a washing process is performed. 
 
     
     
       11. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 10 , wherein the capture probe is formed to have an array structure in order to perform multiple detections with respect to the specimen and the sample. 
     
     
       12. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 10 , wherein the assay site is formed by integrating a DNA chip, a protein chip, a biochip, a porous membrane, or a well plate. 
     
     
       13. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is a thin film channel formed from a thin film adhesive tape for binding the top substrate, the intermediate substrate and the bottom substrate. 
     
     
       14. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises a holding groove or a vent. 
     
     
       15. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 14 , wherein the channel comprises a thin film channel, and an outer channel hole functions as the holding groove. 
     
     
       16. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 1 , wherein the stacking and/or binding of the top substrate, the intermediate substrate and the bottom substrate is performed in such a manner that double-sided tape is attached to the top substrate, the intermediate substrate and the bottom substrate and then a protective strip of the double-sided tape is removed, so that one surface of the top substrate, the intermediate substrate and the bottom substrate is thin-film-coated with an adhesive, or that one surface of the top substrate, the intermediate substrate and the bottom substrate is thin-film-coated with an adhesive by using a dispenser, a spray or a silk screen printing method, and then, the top substrate, the intermediate substrate and the bottom substrate are stacked and bound to each other, thereby forming the body. 
     
     
       17. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises a universal serial bus (USB) connection unit allowing the assay site to be electrically connected with a USB interface member, and thereby reading the assay site. 
     
     
       18. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 17 , wherein the electric connection between the assay site and the USB connection unit is formed by patterning an electric circuit on an aluminum thin film adhesive tape for binding the top substrate, the intermediate substrate and the bottom substrate or by patterning an electric circuit on the intermediate substrate. 
     
     
       19. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises a wireless RF IC or a solar cell for supplying power to the wireless RF IC. 
     
     
       20. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 19 , wherein the wireless RF IC further comprises a control unit for generating a control signal for an impedance measurement device or an electrochemical detection device, or a memory for storing results measured from the impedance measurement device or the electrochemical detection device. 
     
     
       21. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicon, plastic, aerogel, glass, silicon, polypropylene, polyacrylate, polyvinylalcohol, polyethylene, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), cyclic oleifn copolymer (COC), and polycarbonate. 
     
     
       22. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 1 , wherein the body is surface-coated with aluminum or an aluminum sheet to prevent evaporation of a liquid contained in the chamber. 
     
     
       23. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 1 , wherein the stacking and binding of the top substrate, the intermediate substrate, and the bottom substrate is performed by using an aluminum thin film adhesive tape. 
     
     
       24. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 23 , wherein the aluminum thin film adhesive tape provides a hydrophilic channel. 
     
     
       25. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 23 , wherein the aluminum thin film adhesive tape provides an electric circuit pattern for connecting semiconductor chips integrated on the body. 
     
     
       26. The thin film bio valve device of  claim 25 , wherein the electric circuit pattern comprises an interdigitated array electrode pattern, a resistance pattern for a heater, an electronic induced coil pattern, an electrode pattern for an impedance measurement device, or an electrode pattern for an electrochemical detection device. 
     
     
       27. An apparatus for controlling the thin film bio valve device of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a spindle motor for rotating the thin film bio valve device; 
 a slider for moving the movable permanent magnet mounted on the slider or an actuator for moving the scan magnet mounted on the actuator; and 
 a central control device for driving and controlling the spindle motor and performing space-addressing with respect to the magnetic valve, 
 wherein the magnetic valve is reversibly moved vertically, in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, or in a radial direction, due to the attractive force between the magnetic valve and the movable permanent magnet or the attractive force between the magnetic valve and the scan magnet and thus, the channel hole is selectively opened or closed. 
 
     
     
       28. The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the space-addressing with respect to the magnetic valve comprises a radial space-addressing and an azimuth space-addressing. 
     
     
       29. The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the radial space-addressing is performed by moving the slider to the corresponding radius to a magnetic valve, and the azimuth space-addressing is performed by slowly rotating the spindle motor or repeatedly performing a cycle of short-rotating and stopping the spindle motor after the radial space-addressing is completed. 
     
     
       30. The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the azimuth space-addressing is performed by an azimuth search motor and a gear connection member. 
     
     
       31. The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the fluid flows by a pumping fluidic movement or a pulse valve. 
     
     
       32. An apparatus for controlling the thin film bio valve device of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a spindle motor for rotating the thin film bio valve device; 
 a slider for moving the movable permanent magnet mounted on the slider, which is used to perform a radial space-addressing; 
 an azimuth space-addressing member for an azimuth space-addressing and 
 a central control device for driving and controlling the spindle motor and performing the radial and azimuth space-addressing with respect to the magnetic valve, 
 wherein the magnetic valve is reversibly moved vertically, in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, or in a radial direction, due to the attractive force between the magnetic valve and the movable permanent magnet formed by the azimuth space-addressing and the radial space-addressing and thus, the channel hole is selectively opened or closed. 
 
     
     
       33. The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the azimuth space-addressing member comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of an actuator on which the scan magnet is mounted, a second slider on which the movable permanent magnet, an azimuth search motor, and a gear connection member. 
     
     
       34. The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the space-addressing with respect to the magnetic valve is performed by the space-addressing in the radial direction with respect to the magnetic valve and the space-addressing in the azimuth direction with respect to the magnetic valve, wherein the space-addressing in the radial direction is performed by moving in the radial direction the slider to a radius of a corresponding magnetic valve after the space-addressed in the azimuth direction is completed by the azimuth space-addressing member. 
     
     
       35. The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the azimuth direction is performed in such a manner that the actuator is turned to a coordinate of a spiral magnetic pattern corresponding to an azimuth to be addressed, the spindle motor is slowly turned after the second slider is moved to a radius of a corresponding magnetic valve to be addressed or a cycle of short-rotating and stopping the spindle motor is repeatedly performed after the second slider is moved to a radius of a corresponding magnetic valve to be addressed. 
     
     
       36. The apparatus of  claim 32 , further comprising a wireless radio wave generation unit for providing power to the wireless RF IC, an illuminating device for providing a light energy to the solar cell, or a USB port for providing an interface with at least one computer peripheral selected from the group consisting of a camera, a keyboard, earphones, a mouse, a memory stick, an electronic stethoscope, a sphygmomanometer, an electronic thermometer, and a pharmaceutical measuring instrument. 
     
     
       37. The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the central control device receives a unique ID of the thin film bio valve device transmitted from the wireless RF IC when the thin film bio valve device is loaded in the apparatus, and thereby recognizing that the thin film bio valve device currently is currently loaded in the apparatus. 
     
     
       38. The apparatus of  claim 32 , further comprising an input-output device having a communications standard of a USB, IEEE1394, ATAPI, SCSI, IDE, or a wired or wireless internet connection. 
     
     
       39. The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the slider further comprises an optical pick-up device. 
     
     
       40. The apparatus of  claim 32 , further comprising an optical detector that transmits a reference trigger signal to the central control device whenever the optical detector passes by a reference hole of the thin film bio valve device while the body rotates. 
     
     
       41. An apparatus for controlling the thin film bio valve device of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a spindle motor for rotating the thin film bio valve device; 
 a top actuator disposed above the thin film bio valve device and a bottom actuator disposed under the thin film bio valve device, wherein the top and bottom actuators are arranged in parallel and perform space-addressing with respect to the same position, and each of the top and bottom actuators has a front end on which the scan magnet is mounted and 
 a central control device for driving and controlling the spindle motor and performing space-addressing with respect to the magnetic valve, 
 wherein the magnetic valve is reversibly moved vertically, in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, or in a radial direction, due to a combined force of attractive and repulsive forces between the magnetic valve and the scan magnets and thus, the channel hole is selectively opened or closed.